Alabama House Minority Leader Craig Ford

An Alabama judicial regulatory body will decide whether Roy Moore should be removed as Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court.

Moore faces removal from the bench over his effort to block same-sex marriage from coming to Alabama despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling effectively legalizing gay marriage nationwide. The Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission filed ethics charges against Moore late last week, accusing him of abusing his authority and failing to respect the judiciary.

The Alabama legislative session is over. Lawmakers have returned home, but some say very little was accomplished. APR’s MacKenzie Bates talks to one legislator who says there is still a lot work to do.

Lawmakers ended the session without agreeing a on a variety of issues like Alabama Governor Robert Bentley's prison construction proposal, how the state should spend the BP settlement from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the lack of money to fund the state’s Medicaid program.

Much of Alabama was hit by storms and severe weather last night, and at least two tornadoes touched down in various parts of the state.

Eldridge, Alabama was reportedly hit by a tornado around 8 p.m. last night according to Walker County Emergency Management director Harry Markham. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries.

Limestone County Emergency Management director Rita White says a second tornado hit near Ardmore about an hour before. There have been no reports of damage or injuries associated with that tornado either.

Members of the Alabama House of Representatives are returning to Montgomery today for what the speaker's office is calling a "legislative workday," despite the legislative session having ended and lawmakers being unable to take any official action.

Representatives plan to convene this morning at 10 a.m. The budget committee and several budget-related task forces plan to meet in the afternoon.

Democrats in Alabama’s House of Representatives say it’s time for the state to consider legalized gambling as an additional source of revenue.

House Democrats revealed their legislative agenda yesterday. It includes creating a state lottery and urging Gov. Bentley to negotiate a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The tribe would be allowed to operate table games without interference in exchange for giving the state a share of the revenue.

House Minority Leader Craig Ford said Alabama’s voters deserve the chance to vote on a state lottery.

Residents in much of northern and central Alabama are digging out this morning after a winter storm dumped a substantial amount of snow on the region.

Roads are impassable in more than ten Alabama counties. The heaviest snow fell north of Birmingham – forecasters say some areas received upwards of ten inches of snow accumulation.

Paige Colburn is the emergency management officer for the Huntsville – Madison County EMA. She says they’re hoping to avoid a repeat of last Friday, when stuck and abandoned cars caused major problems for emergency crews.

In the last few years the state has had to tighten its belt to rein in spending during some lean budget years. Alabama’s teachers have had to shoulder some of that burden with pay cuts and increased contributions to their pensions. Teachers received a two percent pay raise last year, their first since 2007. More raises were expected this year to help bring teacher pay back to pre-recession levels. Governor Robert Bentley took up the cause during his State of the State address...

Gov. Robert Bentley won't make a quick decision on whether to sign the state's Education Trust Fund budget or force lawmakers back into a special session over the issue of a raise for education employees.

Bentley spokeswoman Jennifer Ardis said Friday that there is no timeframe on when he will make a decision.

Bentley has until April 13 to sign the budget into law or it will die through a pocket veto.

Democrats in the Alabama House have announced their support for a state lottery referendum, 6 percent raise for public employees and a tobacco tax increase.

The House Democratic Caucus unveiled its agenda Tuesday. House Minority Leader Craig Ford of Gadsden says it's been 15 years since Alabama voters turned down a state lottery, and it's time for another statewide vote.

The Democratic leader in the Alabama House is calling for the Legislature to use its election-year session to approve a state lottery.

House Minority Leader Craig Ford of Gadsden says a lottery could create as much as $250 million annually for schools. He says many Alabamians are playing lotteries in Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, and he wants to keep their money at home.

An Alabama Democrat says the Accountability Act has failed and is asking lawmakers to divert funding intended for tax credits to another educational program.

House Minority Leader Craig Ford, of Gadsden, said Thursday that he'd like to see the state reallocate $40 million meant for tax credits under the legislation used instead to expand the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative.